IATSE Local 873 Members and Non-Members,
As many of you may already know, the Ministry Of Labour has made it mandatory as of July 1, 2014 that all workers and supervisors in Ontario workplaces must provide employers with proof of completing Health and Safety Awareness Training. Much like WHMIS (Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System), this training is mandatory for all Ontario workers, thus Local 873 is treating this mandate in a similar fashion.
Over the next couple of months our employers will likely be asking for a copy of your "Proof of Completion" certificate as part of your start package as a condition of employment. This means that without providing this certificate you may not be able to work. Local 873 has been communicating with our employers that we will be doing our part over the next couple of months by informing our membership of this new requirement and providing training opportunities to bring our members and non-members into compliance by July 1, 2014. We have also expressed to our employers that they must be flexible and understanding of the nature of our industry and work with the Local and our members to ensure we are all in compliance by the July deadline. We expect that our employers, should they make this a condition of employment either prior to or after the July 1st deadline, allow employees who are unable to provide the certificate a reasonable amount of time to take this training and provide the certificate before denying them the opportunity to work.
The training consists of two modules: one for supervisors and another for workers. If you are hired in a supervisory position you will have to provide proof of completion for the supervisor module. If you are hired in a non-supervisory capacity you will only need to provide proof of completion for the worker module.
Local 873 is also making it a mandatory requirement for our members to provide the Union office with a copy of your "Proof of Completion" certificate. Much like other mandatory certifications (WHMIS), the Union needs to have a copy of this certificate on file so that we can confirm your certification with an employer if need be, and to ensure that we are doing our part by dispatching only certified workers. Additionally, by keeping your "Proof of Completion" on file at the Local 873 office, it will ensure that you will always have a copy to access down the road should you lose your original.
The Ministry of Labour has made this certification quite easy to achieve online through E-Learning Modules:
Worker Health and Safety Awareness
http://www.labour.gov.on.ca/english/hs/elearn/worker/index.php
Supervisor Health and Safety Awareness
http://www.labour.gov.on.ca/english/hs/elearn/supervisor/index.php
These modules are easily accessed online and take approximately 40-45 minutes to complete. They are not difficult but serve an important purpose in informing and reminding workers and supervisors of their obligations when it comes to workplace safety.
You will receive a "Proof of Completion" certificate once you complete the on-line training. You must save and/or print the certificate before exiting the module, otherwise you will have to retake the training to get the certificate. The Ministry of Labour will not store your certificate, or keep a record of training. Please make sure that you keep a record of this training to provide to employers when completing your deal memo.
Once you have completed either the E-learning module or the Union course please make sure to send your "Proof of Completion" to the union office. The following methods are acceptable:
1. Email the PDF version to the Training Coordinator and make sure to provide your name and department in the email.
2. Fax a copy of the certificate and provide your name and department on the cover sheet of the fax.
3. Mail a copy of the certification to the union office address.
4. Deliver a copy of the certification to the union office receptionists.
We strongly urge our members and non-members to complete this mandatory training as soon as possible to help avoid any disruption in the workplace, and more importantly to avoid any chance of a member being denied the opportunity to work as a result of not having this certification.
Please feel free to contact the union office if you have any questions regarding this training.